The 2000 Catalog of Workforce Preparation Programs contains information
on 75 State and federally funded programs in 15 agencies, representing an
investment in the workforce of over $1 billion. These programs provide
education and training activities and services to employed and unemployed
adults and youth. While some programs are administered directly by the
State agencies, others provide grants for programs implemented through
schools, colleges, community-based organizations, and professional
associations.

New York State's workforce preparation programs can be categorized in
several ways. One group of programs focuses on providing education and
training to insure that new labor force entrants possess the skills
demanded by employers. Programs which focus on economically disadvantaged
individuals are designed to reduce economic dependency by providing them
with the skills and education needed to successfully compete in the labor
market. Several programs benefit those who are already employed. These
programs aim to enhance the competitiveness of New York State's businesses
by retraining and upgrading the skills of existing workers and improving
productivity while retaining jobs. A fourth area of program activity
facilitates the re-entry of previously employed workers into the labor force.

Employment Trends

From 1995 to 2000, New York's labor force expanded by more than half a
million workers to more than nine million individuals.(1)
Shifts in the composition of the labor force reflecting socio-demographic changes
among participants have been documented throughout the decade. When comparing
Current Population Survey data from 1990 and 2000, women now account for a
greater percentage of the labor force — up from 43.9% to nearly 49%
— although the rate of growth has slowed from that during the 1980s.
It is also significant that the State's workforce continues to age.
The percentage of workers in the labor force who are between the ages of 25
and 44 has declined from 53.3% in 1995 to 51.5% in 2000. Workers aged 45 and
over make up a larger share of the workforce, increasing from 32.5% in 1995
to 34.5% in 2000.

There are changes in the workplace environment as well. Technological
transformation and the global economy have altered workers' lives. Overall,
the need for advanced levels of education and training is expected to greatly
increase. A recent Bureau of Labor Statistics study finds that nationally,
between 1998 and 2008, the number of jobs for college graduates is expected to
grow nearly 28%, more than twice as fast as other jobs. Many jobs, however,
that were considered non-college level by employers, are now classified as
college level. "Education" upgrading has occurred in many occupations
due to changes in job duties, business practices, or technology.(2)
An average of more than 90,000 college graduates each year will continue to enter
positions that do not require skills learned in a bachelor's degree program.
While some of these graduates will choose to enter such occupations for
personal reasons, others will work in non-college level jobs because they
cannot match their skills and knowledge with college level positions.

Both labor force quantity and quality (as measured by the shortage of
skilled workers) have emerged as critical issues here in New York. Employers
publicly acknowledge that the condition of New York's workforce is a major
concern. An inability to hire enough workers with the requisite skills could
restrain the State's future economic growth.

In a recent survey of its members conducted by the Business Council of New
York, Inc., employers remain very concerned about the shortages of skilled
workers.(3) As technology continues to drive changes in almost every industry
sector, and as new, emerging industries gain significance in the State's
overall economy, demand for a workforce that is technically skilled will grow.
The National Science Foundation in its report, The Supply of Information
Technology Workers in the United States, finds that this is especially true in
the information technology industry. Jobs associated with the design,
development, implementation, support or management of computer-based
information systems, particularly software applications and computer hardware,
are distributed throughout virtually every sector of the State's economy and
are among New York's fastest growing occupations.

An earlier Business Council report had concluded that almost 70% of business
respondents acknowledged productivity in their companies has suffered because
of employee skill gaps.(4) This "skills
gap" — the mismatch between skills of the labor force and those required
in jobs created by today's economy — is a barrier to job creation and
economic expansion. Almost all employers stated that their existing workforce
needed to obtain skills upgrading in one or more areas — with technology
skills ranked first, at 84.5%. Of the nearly 240,000 degrees and certificates
awarded by New York's post-secondary institutions between July 1, 1996 and June
30, 1997 (the latest data available), only 7,000 (or 3%) of the degrees and
certificates were awarded in the fields of computer science and engineering.

Statewide, professional and technical and service occupations are projected
to add the most jobs during 1997 and 2007 and are expected to grow at the
most rapid rate.(5) Within the professional
and technical category, most of the fastest-growing occupations are computer or
health-related. Conversely, occupations classified as administrative support
positions, operators, fabricators and laborers are projected to grow at the
slowest rate during this period.

Occupations in the service, professional and technical, and administrative
support categories are projected to have the most total annual openings
between 1997-2007. Certain slow-growth occupations, such as administrative
support, have a large number of annual openings because of the need to replace
workers who retire or leave a job for other reasons.

Today's workers, whether new or experienced, must engage in a continuing
process of developing their skills and abilities to perform effectively in
changing work environments. Workers and employers need to be increasingly
informed about available and emerging employment and training options in order
to make decisions that will ensure both their short-and long-term success.

Contact

If you wish to obtain more information on any one of the entries in the
Catalog, a contact person has been identified for each program. If you have
any questions or would like additional information about the Catalog, please
call the Commission at (518) 455-4865.

Includes individuals who are unemployed and looking for work as well as those who are employed. All data is from the 1990, 1995 and March 2000 Current Population Surveys.

U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, "The Outlook for College Graduates, 1998-2008," Occupational Outlook Quarterly, (Fall 2000).

The Business Council of New York, Inc., "Compensation Data-New York 1999," (August 1999).

Public Policy Forum, "The Comeback Trail: 1998," (May 1998).

New York State Department of Labor, "Occupational Outlook, New York State," (February 2001).